Car roof



Jan. 29, 1924. 1,481,823

C. D. BONSALL CAR ROOF Fil d 23. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 2 [rive/22 m"; W

Jam. 29 1924-. 1,481,823

c. D. BONSALL CAR ROOF Filed Feb. 23. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 29, 1924..

STATES 2. "LES DAVID BONSALL, 0F PITTSBURGH, PWNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO P. H, MURPHY COMPANY, OF NEW KENSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01' PENNSYLV.

car. moor.

Application filed February 28, 1922. Serial No. 588,658.

7 '0 all whom it may cone-em:

Be it known that I, CHARLES DAVID BoNsALL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certa1n new and useful Improvement in Car Roofs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to all-steel rivetedup car roofs composed of heavy-gage self- ,supporting roof sheets which extend from side to side of the car and are rigidly secured together and to the car frame; and it relates more particularl to lmprovements in car roofs of the kind s own in my pending application Ser. No. 414,302 filed )ctober 2, 1920, whose longitudinal Y section comprises alternating ribbed and channeled portions.

The principal object of the present 1nvention is to increase the strength and rigidity of the above type of roof by improvrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur. 1

' Fig. 1 is a plan view of the end portion of a car roof embodying my invention, partlybroken away to disclose the underlying eaves portion of a roof sheet; I

Fig. 2 is' an enlarged transverse section through one-half of the roof on the line 2-2111 Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is 'a longitudinal section. along the ridge line of the roof on the line 3-3 1n Fi 1; 6

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged detail cross-sections through one of the roof seams on the lines 4-4, 5-5 and 6-6, respectively, in Fig. 1;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are cross-sections illus-. trating a slightly modified seam construction, the sections being taken at points corresponding to the lines of section 44, 5-5 and 66, respectively, in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 10 and 11 are longitudinal crosssections similar to Fig. 3 showing roof sheets of modified form. v

The roof shown in Figs. 1 to 60f the accompanying drawings is applied to a steel box car having a roof substructure or frame comprising angle bar side plates 12 and angle bar end plates 13 which are arranged with one flange up and facing outward. The roof is made of heavy load sustaining metal roof sheets 14, which span thecar .from side plate to side plate with their eaves portions supported on the upper flanges thereof and rigldly secured thereto by rows of rivets 15. slope downward on opposite sides of the ridge to form a pitch or arcuate roof; and each sheet-comprises vertically offset upper and lower surfaces 16 and 17 which extend transversely of the car from eaves to eaves thereof and are of a width corresponding to half the width of the sheets. The adjacent side marginal portions of the vertically ofi'set surfaces 16 and 17 are connected along the transverse mid-line of the sheets by substantially vertical web portions 18.

The upper surface 16 of each sheet is provided along its outer side margin with a depending flange, which is turned outwardly in the plane of the lower surface 17 of the sheet in the form of a flange '19 of substantially L-shaped section; and said lower surface 17 is provided along its outer margin with an upstanding flange which is turned outwardly in the plane of said upper surface 16 in the form of a flange 20 'of substantially inverted L-shaped section.

Thus, one-half of each sheet is formed with a flat topped rib or inverted channel portion A and the other half of said sheet is formed with an upwardly opened flat bottomed channel B, both channel and rib extending crosswise of the car.

The web portion 18 that connects the vertical offset surfaces 16 and 17 of each sheet, together with the web portions of The roof sheets the L-shaped flanges 19 and 20 thereof, gradually diminish in depth from the ridge towards the eaves, whereby theribs A and channels B graduall diminish in height and depth, respective y, from the ridge to-' wards the eaves. The upper surfaces 16, which form the tops of the ribs A, are curved downwardly at the eaves ends of the sheets and merge into the plane of the By reason of the sheets being pressed from blanks of uniform width, the decreasing depth from the ridge towards the eaves of the central webs 18 and the reversely arranged flanges 19 and 20 aflords surplus metal which is utilized in making the ribs and channels wider at the eaves than at the ridge. Therefore, as the web 18 and the flanges 19 and 20 diminish in depth from the ridge towards the eaves, there is a corresponding increase in the width of the channels and ribs from the ridge towards the eaves, with the result that the L-shaped marginal flanges 19 and 20 are disposed at an anle with relation to the central web 18 an diverge from said web on each side of the ridge towards the eaves where the merge into the plane of the bottoms of t 0 channels in an abrupt outward curve which corresponds to the abruptly curved eaves end portions of the ribs.

The sheets are assembled by lapping their side marginal portions; that is, the outer marginal portion of the rib of one sheet is placed over the outer marginal portion of the channel of an adjacent sheet, with the webs of the opposing L-shaped flanges spaced apart a suitable distance. The outwardly flanged portion of the L-shaped flange of one sheet is then ri 'dly secured by rivets 22 to the under si e of the rib of an adjacent sheet; and the outwardly flanged bottom portion of the depending L-shaped flan e is rigidly secured to the upper surface of the bottom of the channel by rivets 23. When thus assembled, the sheets form a roof whose outside apagearance comprises a series of transverse r1 s alternating with transverse channels, the ribs and channels decreasin r in depthand the ribs increasing in width rom the ridge towards the caves. The longitudinal section of the roof thus formed comprises alternating ribs and channels and stifienin ribs of hollow box-girder section formed %y' the lapped ribs and channels of adjacent sheets, which box-girders increase in width and. decrease in depth from the ridge towards the eaves.

Running boards 24 extend longitudinallv of the roof and are securely bolted to the menses top flanges of Z-shaped running board sadof adjacent-sheets and are secured in place by the securing rivets 23 therefor.

Half sheets 26 aretprovided for each end of the car. The outer side marginal portions of these sheets are supported on the end plates 13 and are rigidly sccured thereto by means of rivets 27. The outer side marginal portions of the end sheets have depending flanges 28 that overhang the end plates; and the inner margin; of said sheets are provided with lip-standing flanges of inverted L-shaped section that cooperate with the depending L-shaped flanges of the full sheets to form the endmost box-girder scams or joints.

From the foregoing description it is 8V!- dent that this lnvention enables a very strong, light weight roof to be made. The ribs or inverted channels, which constitute outside carlines, are strengthened by boxgirder scams or joints formed by the cooperating L-shaped flanges of adjacent sheets. These ribs and box-girders are well adapted to withstand vertical roof loads, while the widening out thereof on opposite sides of the ridge produces a broad flat section that functions as a gusset to withstand horizontal stresses and thereby brace the tops of the side walls of the car. The widening out of'the ribs and channels permits the use of all of the metal contained in a rectangular sheet blank without the expense of shearing the blank to a special shape before pressing; and the alternating rib and channel arrangement places an equal amount of metal above and below the horizontal center line of the roof and thus locates the neutral axis of the roof along said line thereby enabling the maximum strength of the metal emplgyed to be utilized.

n the seam construction shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the webs of the cooperating. L-shaped flanges 19 and 20 of adjacent sheets are in contact at the ridge and diverge from each other on opposite sides of the ridge to form joints that are solid at the ridge and are tgwholhgw box-girder section at the eaves In the construction shown in Fi 10, the sheets 14* are shown in the form of separate channels having their side flanges turned outward parallel with the plane of the web portions'of the channels. The sheets are assembled by inverting alternate channels and lapping their side margins. A suitable space is left between the side flanges of adjacent sheets, and the side flange of one sheet is riveted to the body portion of an adjacent sheet to form box-girder joints.

loo

menses In the construction shown in Fig. 11, thesheets are similar to the sheets shown in Fig. 3 and have L-shaped side marginal flanges that cooperate to form box-girder joints between the ribs and channels. However, the ,sheets'shown in Fig. 11 have the outwardly flanged portions of their L-sha-ped flanges made made wider than the corresponding portions of the L-shaped flanges of the sheets shown in Fig. 3; and the sheets are assembled by securing the outwardly flanged portion of the L-shaped flanges of adjacent sheets to the tops of the ribs and the under sides of the channels, whereby said flanges form both the vertical and horizontal walls of the box-girder joints; whereas, in the construction shown in .Fig. 3, the horizontal walls of the box-girder are, formed by the body portions of adjacent sheets. If deslred the alternating ribs and channels together with the box-girder seams may be made of uniform width and depth from the ridge to the eaves.

Obviously the hereinbefore describedconstruction permits of considerable modification without departing from the nvention; therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the exact details shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. A car roof whose longitudinal crosssection comprises alternating ribs and channels whose adjacent side marginal portions are shaped and rigidly secured together throughout their lengths to form hollow box-girders.

2. A car roof whose longitudinal crosssection comprises alternating ribs and channels whose adjacent side marginal portions are shaped and rigidly secured together throughout their lengths to form hollowbox-girders, said box-girders gradually increasing in width from the ridge towards the eaves.

3. A car roof whose longitudinal crosssection comprises alternating ribs and channels which have their side marginal flanges lapped and spaced apart to form hollow boxgirders, said marginal flanges being rigidly secured together by a row of rivets located in the plane of the top of said ribs and in the plane of the bottom of said channels, said box-girders gradually diminishing in depth from the ridge towards the eaves.

4. A car roof whose longitudinal crosssection comprises alternating ribs and channels whose side marginal portions are rigidly secured together to form hollow boxgirders, said box-girders gradually increasing in width and radually diminishing in depth from the ri go towards the eaves.

5. A car roof whose longitudinal crosssection comprise alternating ribs and channels whose adjacent side marginal portions are overlapped and rigidly secured together to 'form hollow box-girders, said ribs and said box-girders increasing in width and diminishing in depth from the ridge towards the eaves where they merge into the plane of the bottoms of said channels.

6. A car roof whose longitudinal crosssection comprises alternating ribs and channels whose adjacent side marginal portions are shaped and rigidly secured together to form hollow box-girder seams, said ribs and said box-girders increasing in width and diminishing in depth from the ridge toward the eav 7. A car roof comprising a plurality of metal roof sheets rigidly secured together along their side margins the longitudinal cross-section of said roof comprising alter nating ribs and channels, the cooperating marginal portions of said sheets being shaped to form hollow box-girder joints.

8. A car roof comprising a plurality of metal roof sheets rigidly secured together along their side margins, the lon itudinal section of said roof comprising hol ow ribs, hollow box-girders and channels arranged in succession longitudinally of the roof.

9. A car roof comprising a plurality of metal roof sheets that are offset vertically to form an upwardly opening channel and a downwardly opening channel each having an outwardly flanged margin, said sheets lapping along their sides and rigidly secured together along their side margins, the longitudinal section of said roof comprising hollow ribs, hollow box-girders and channels arranged in succession longitudinally of the roof, said box-girders being wider at the eaves than at the ridge and deeper at the ridge than at the eaves.

10. A car roof comprising a plurality of metal roof sheets that are offset vertically to form an upwardly opening channel and a downwardl opening channel each having an outwar 1y flanged margin, said sheets lapping along their sides and rigidly secured together along their side margins, the longitudinal section of said roof comprising hollow ribs, hollow box-girders and channelsarranged in succession longitudinally of the roof, said ribs and said box-girders bein wider at the eaves than at the ridge and deeper at the ridge than at the eaves.

11. A car roof comprising a plurality of roof sheets having L-shaped flanges along their side margins, the L-shaped flange of one sheet being rigidly secured to the body portion of an adjacent-sheet to form hollow box-girder joints.

12. A car roof comprising a pluralit of.

roof sheets having L-shaped flanges a ong their side margins, one flange being formed upwardly and the other flange being formed downwardly, the L-shaped flange of one sheet being rigidly secured to the body portion of an adjacent sheet to form "box-girder joints.- I

13. A car roof comprising a plurality of roof sheets having reverse channels formed in their adjacent marginal portions, said channels being lapped for a portion of their width and rigidly secured together to form hollow box-girder joints.

14. A car roof comprising a plurality of roof sheets having reverse channels formed in their adjacent marginal portions, said channels being lapped for a portion of their Width and rigidly secured together to form hOllOWbOX-gIIdGI joints, said channels bein of greater depth and of less width at the ri ge than at the eaves, whereby said boxgirder joints are deeper at the ridge than at the eaves and are wider at the eaves than at the ridge.

- 15. A roof sheet 'for a car roof, consisting of an upwardly opening channel extending longitudinally thereof and having an outwardly extending flange at the top of its outer wall'that constitutes one margin of the sheet, and a downwardly opening longihollow tudinal channel having an outwardly extending flange at the bottom of its outer wall constituting the other margin of said sheet, said channels having the same inner wall and the marginal flanges being adapted to cooperate with flanges of like sheets to form lap joints therewith.

16. A roof sheet for a car roof, the crosssection of said sheet consisting of an upwardly opening channel and a'downwardly opening channel having one vertical side in common and a side mar inal flange for each channel turned outwar ly in the plane of the body portion of the other channel, said channels being-of increased width from the rid e towards the eaves.

1 A roof sheet for a car roof, the crossmenses section" of said sheet consisting of an upwardly and a downwardly opening channel having one vertical side in common and a side marginal flange for each channel turned outwardly in the plane of the body portion of the other channel, said channels being of increased width and decreased depth from the ridge towards the eaves.

18. A roof sheet for a car roof, the crosssection of said sheet consisting of an u)- wardly opening channel and a downwardly opening channel having one vertical side in common and a side marginal flange for each channel turned outwardly in the plane of the body portion of the other channel said channels being of increased width and decreased depth from the ridge towards the eaves, the top of the inverted channel merging into the plane of the bottom of the upwardly opening channel adjacent at the eaves ends of the sheet.

19. A roof sheet for a car roof, the crosssection of said sheet comprising a pair of oppositely opening channels which extend from end to end thereof and have one vertical side in common, the outer walls of said channels diverging from each other from the ridge towards the eaves.

20. A roof sheet for a car roof, the crosssection of the body of said sheet consisting of a pair of oppositely opening channels which have one vertical side in common whose depth decreases from the ridge towards the eaves, the outer walls of said channels diverging from each other on opposite sides of the ridge, the wall of a channel having at its outer edge a flange that extends outwardly in the plane of the body of the other channel. 7

Signed at New Kensington, Pennsylvania, this 17th day of February, 1922.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL. 

